2026 Mildura

Join us in Mildura for an informative ASVO seminar (Followed by the MVWI Outlook Forum)

When 1:00pm (Vic Time) Tuesday 26 May to Midday Wednesday 27 May

Where: Willow And Ivie
256 Irymple Ave, Nichols Point VIC 3501
Plus code: Q6Q6+68 Nichols Point, Victoria

Program

The 2026 ASVO Mildura seminar marks the return of viticulture’s favourite face-to-face event. Two half days of practical vineyard insights, learn from grower-led trials, integrated pest and disease strategies, and real-world business insights on protecting margins, workforce development, and adapting to market and climate challenges.

Powerful panel discussions and practical insights (rather than death by PowerPoint)
Topics from building resilience and smarter management decisions to integrated pest management and affordable technology.

Relaxed networking and social activities
Enjoy a guided tasting of first-generation mildew-resistant varieties and a relaxed, affordable networking dinner. 
Stay on for the Mildura Wine Outlook Forum, providing critical insights to help growers navigate market pressures, climate extremes, and other challenges facing the industry today.

5 Reasons to Attend the 2026 Mildura Wine Forum

1.    Build Resilience in Your Vineyard
Learn practical strategies to protect profitability, prioritise essential operations, and adapt to climate extremes, disease pressures, and market challenges without risking the long-term viability of your business.
2.    Make Every Intervention Count
Discover smarter vineyard management through grower-led trials, integrated pest and disease strategies, and insights on both chemical and biological approaches to optimise efficiency and outcomes.
3.    Harness Technology Without Breaking the Bank
Get practical guidance on affordable, high-impact vineyard technologies—from AI and sensors to smart irrigation—and learn how to make informed, data-driven investment decisions.
4.    Strengthen Your Business and Workforce
Gain strategies to protect margins, negotiate better deals, explore new revenue streams, and foster a strong, inclusive, and productive workforce while preparing your business for the future.
5.    Connect, and Exchange Ideas
Enjoy hands-on experiences with first-generation mildew-resistant varieties alongside a grower and winemaker, plus a relaxed, no-fuss networking dinner—share stories, swap ideas, and meet peers in a friendly, informal setting.

Session 1 Endurance and Adaptation: Strategic Pathways for Growers Under Pressure

Practical strategies to protect profitability, prioritise essential operations, and make informed decisions under challenging vineyard and market conditions.
This session focuses on how grape growers can navigate a challenging environment while maintaining long-term vineyard viability. It addresses the critical questions growers face: How can I protect the most profitable parts of my vineyard? Which operations are essential to maintain? How do I respond to climate extremes, disease pressures, and market downturns without risking the future of my business?
Topics include:
•    Sustainable pathways for profitability: Strategic planning and insights to strengthen resilience
•    Weathering the downturn: Whole-of-business strategies to protect profitable operations, prioritise resources, and make every decision count
•    Essential operations only: Smart water, spray, and pruning management
•    Vineyard scaling and minimum maintenance: Decisions around vine removal, mothballing, and how long a vineyard can remain viable under reduced inputs
•    Panel discussion: Real-world examples of adaptation, resource prioritisation, and balancing business survival with operational continuity

You will gain actionable guidance on how to protect core operations, prioritise investments, and adapt strategically to ensure both short-term resilience and long-term viability.

Session 2: Evidence Into Action: Smarter Vineyard Management

Helping growers make every intervention count by understanding why and how controls work, optimising application, and using trials to generate actionable, site-specific insights.
This session equips growers with practical tools and strategies to improve vineyard efficiency and pest and disease management. 
Topics include:
•    Trial and Error: Grower-Led Research – How to design, run, and interpret trials in your own vineyard to collect reliable data and make decisions that lead to measurable improvements
•    Tackling Scale & Mealybug – Practical strategies using integrated chemical, biological, and cultural approaches, informed by local vineyard case studies
•    Conventional Sprays – Understanding type, timing, and technique to improve effectiveness, reduce waste, and maximise longevity
•    Biological Controls – Matching agents to pest cycles and optimising timing and application for effective, sustainable outcomes
•    Using a mix of approaches to answer tough questions growers face: Which interventions actually work? How can I prevent diseases rather than reacting? How do I balance chemical, biological, and cultural controls?

You will leave with actionable insights on how to make every intervention count, tailor strategies to their vineyard, and make smarter, data-driven management decisions.

Session 3: Grower-Focused Technology: Smart Tools and Thinking That Doesn’t Break the Bank

Practical guidance on affordable, high-impact vineyard technologies and clever investment strategies to improve efficiency, reduce costs, and generate real on-farm value.
This session equips growers with the knowledge to make informed technology and data-driven decisions for their vineyards. 
Key topics include:
•    Investment decision-making: Using data rather than instinct, including economic decision tools and approaches for ESG/SWA compliance
•    Vineyard of the future: Practical technologies growers can use now to improve vineyard management
•    Sensor integration and remote sensing: Smart irrigation, vineyard monitoring, and precision management using real-time data
•    Avian monitoring: Using autonomous recording units and deep learning to understand and manage functional diversity in vineyards
•    AI for vineyards: Gathering and interpreting data to support practical decision-making and operational improvements
•    Wine Industry Smoke Detectors (WISDs): Tools to protect vineyards and reduce risk
•    “How wizards help me sleep at night”: Insights into automation, monitoring, and technology that reduces stress and improves confidence

You will gain practical guidance on how to select and implement vineyard technologies, use data effectively, and make strategic investment decisions that deliver value without overspending.

Session 4: People, Business & Future Industry: Building Resilience in Challenging Times

Strategies for growers to protect margins, adapt business models, and strengthen their workforce while navigating a challenging industry landscape.
This session focuses on building resilience in vineyard businesses by exploring both industry and people-focused strategies:
•    Global and cross-industry insights: Lessons from sectors facing oversupply and strategies to protect margins and make smarter decisions
•    Negotiation skills: Securing better grape deals through small, written improvements—quality clauses, payment terms, or bonuses
•    Business adaptation: Restructuring your business without abandoning the vineyard, finding new revenue streams, and exploring off-farm income options
•    Sustainable leadership & ESG: Unlocking value from sustainability initiatives and ESG principles
•    Workforce development: Engaging contract labour, incorporating DEI, and fostering a strong workplace culture
•    Growing people as well as produce: Becoming a great employer to attract, retain, and develop talent

You will gain practical insights on combining business strategy, workforce management, and industry learnings to ensure profitability, adaptability, and long-term resilience.

But wait there’s more

Guided Tasting: First-Generation Mildew-Resistant Grape Varieties
Insights from a grower and a winemaker on first-generation mildew-resistant varieties, combining tasting with practical vineyard and winemaking perspectives.
Explore the potential of first-generation mildew-resistant grape varieties through the perspective of one grower and one winemaker. Attendees will:
•    Taste wines produced from these varieties
•    Learn about vineyard performance and management challenges
•    Hear about winemaking considerations and practical lessons
•    Understand the potential for future plantings and adoption

You will gain hands-on insights into the opportunities and challenges of growing and making wine from mildew-resistant varieties.

Networking Dinner at Mildura Pizza Cafe
An easy-going, no-fuss, and affordable evening for growers to connect, share stories, and swap experiences. Enjoy good food, genuine conversation, and a relaxed, informal setting—no speeches, no dress-ups, just time to network. 

Plus...
Stay on for the 2026 Mildura Wine (MVW) Outlook Forum Covering critical topics like wine export performance, water demand, grape prices, and industry updates.